Running in the winter outdoors and indoors: safety rules

Experienced runners know how to run properly at any time of the year while avoiding injury and other dangers. For beginners, winter running raises many questions that are related both to the appropriateness and safety of such a run, and to the right choice of clothes and shoes for jogging on a winter day. Of course, it’s not worth abandoning your usual running schedule and falling into hibernation, but there are special warnings and recommendations that will help you get the most out of running even in cold winter. 

Running in winter: where is the best place to practice – outdoors or indoors?

In severe frosts (air temperature is less than -15 ^oC), it is better to move jogging indoors. To do this, you can visit special gyms. buy a treadmill which you can buy once, but it will serve you every winter and in any bad weather.

The rest of the time, running in the winter on the street – a useful activity that many runners practice. Main – properly prepare for a run, and for this you need to take into account & nbsp; multiple factors:

• health condition (if you are ill, stay at home, otherwise you risk worsening your condition);
• clothing and footwear;
• general rules.

Running outdoors in winter: safe training rules 

If you – a novice runner, in order not to endanger himself when running in winter, you need to start running for 10 minutes. A gradual increase in jogging time will help the body smoothly adapt to a new type of regular exercise for it. After adaptation, the optimal running time is approximately 45 minutes.

It is also important to monitor your well-being – This rule is universal for any sports. Feeling unwell, switch from running to walking.

Optimal time for running in winter: in the morning – 6 am to 7 pm or 11 am to 12 pm (depending on your schedule and preferences). Also be aware of the following:

1. It is better to eat after a run, when the body will finally wake up and cheer up.
2. Don't forget to warm up before and after your run.
3. Proper breathing, i.e. inhale through your nose, and exhale – through the nose or mouth. You will inhale air with your mouth – you can easily catch a cold in your throat, bronchi or lungs.
4. Run against traffic (regardless of where you run, as long as you're running outdoors).
5. If you run in a place where there is traffic, take off your headphones: music helps to run, but not to hear the car on a dark winter morning on a slippery road – life-threatening.
6. Don't rush: speed is not a priority when running in winter. Want to run fast – go indoors, it's not safe in the cold.

Running outdoors in winter: how to choose the right clothes and shoes

Running in winter also has a basic rule of runners: clothing and shoes must be comfortable. Plus, your ears, head, and hands should be covered with clothing made from a material that absorbs and wicks moisture freely.

1. It is better to choose half-woolen socks with ribbed soles, which have a thermal effect.
2. The thermal underwear is useful for runners who want to lose weight.
3. Pants and jacket must be chosen according to the weather. Remember that one of their functions is protection from wind and precipitation.
4. The choice of shoes is made according to the surface on which you run. If your running route is on a publicly-cleared sidewalk, you have nothing to worry about. If on your way there will be slippery and uneven surfaces, the sole should be corrugated (clear tread pattern). The sole must be flexible, the shoes themselves – insulated on the inside and covered with waterproof material on the outside.

Dress like cabbages with the layering rule:

1. Moisture-wicking (i.e. the thermal underwear mentioned above).
2. Insulating (i.e. fleece clothing, sweater).
3. Protective (i.e. clothing should not be blown by the wind and get wet by snow or rain).

Of course, it's best to get winter running advice from experienced runners. If you still have doubts about the wisdom of running in the winter, consider other types of workouts that you can do at home. There are many different sets of exercises, the effectiveness of which is not inferior to running.